Updating add-ons: Difference between revisions

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(updated the workarounds, replaced the disable auto-update stub and tools -> extensions with tools -> add-ons)
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==Automatic updating of extensions==
Firefox and Thunderbird extensions can be updated using the [[Software Update]] feature. To perform an update check:
# Tools -> Add-ons
# Find Updates


You can configure Firefox and Thunderbird to update your extensions and themes automatically. (This is part of the [[Software Update]] feature.)
Settings for automatically checking for updates are under Tools -> Options -> Advanced -> Update.
 
==Disable auto-update for individual extensions==
It is possible to prevent individual extensions from updating automatically even when you have the Software Update feature enabled. Find the GUID for the extension, and add a Boolean preference whose general format is extensions.GUID.update.enabled, and set it to false. You can find the extensions GUID by browsing the [[Install.rdf | install.rdf]] files in the extension directory in the [[Profile_folder | profile]].
 
For example, FireFTP's GUID is {a7c6cf7f-112c-4500-a7ea-39801a327e5f}, so you'd add the preference extensions.{a7c6cf7f-112c-4500-a7ea-39801a327e5f}.update.enabled and set it to false.  


==Re-enabling disabled extensions==
==Re-enabling disabled extensions==
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==Updating incompatible extensions for a new application version==
==Updating incompatible extensions for a new application version==
The Add-ons dialog will inform you if an existing extension is incompatible with your current version of Firefox or Thunderbird, and prevent you from enabling it. The first thing to try is to check for updates to see if a new version is available. If one isn't found, you can override the compatibility check, '''but doing so is not recommended because incompatible extensions may break your application.''' If you decide to do it anyway and you then find the application is not behaving properly, you can disable the extension from the Add-ons dialog to get everything working again (from [[Safe Mode]] if necessary).


The Extension Manager will inform you if an existing extension is incompatible with your current version of Firefox or Thunderbird, and prevent you from enabling it. However, in many cases the extension really is compatible, but its author has not yet updated its compatibility information to include the current version. If you believe this to be the case, you can either update the compatibility information yourself or configure the application to disable version checking. '''You can temporarily break your application if you do this'''. If that happens uninstall the extension. If for some reason you can't do that,  start up in [[Safe Mode]], go to "Tools -> Addons", and then uninstall that extension.
===Completely disabling the compatibility check===
 
The simplest solution is to disable version checking for all extensions by setting the [[extensions.checkCompatibility]] setting to false in Firefox and Thunderbird 2.0 and later.
===extensions.checkCompatibility===
# Firefox users can type about:config in the address bar and press Enter. Thunderbird users can use the [[Modify_Thunderbird_settings | Config Editor]].
The simplest solution is to disable version checking for all extensions by setting the [[Extensions.checkCompatibility | extensions.checkCompatibility]] setting to false using either [[About:config | about:config]] (Firefox) or the [[Modify_Thunderbird_settings | Config Editor]] (Thunderbird). It doesn't exist by default. You can add it by context-clicking (right-click) anywhere in the list of preferences, select New, Boolean, enter extensions.checkCompatibility, press OK and then select false.
# Right-click -> New -> Boolean
# Name: extensions.checkCompatibility
# Value: false


This method requires Firefox or Thunderbird version 2.0 or later. If you're using an older version you could override what version number it checked against by modifying  [[App.extensions.version | app.extensions.version]] .
Users of versions previous to 2.0 can use the preference [[app.extensions.version]].


===Changing the compatibility information manually in install.rdf===
===Disabling the compatibility check per extension (Advanced)===
You could also change the version information stored within the extension that the application checks. This is stored within a install.rdf file inside the .xpi file (the extension). This is more work but avoids the risk of other extensions breaking your application if they truly were incompatible.
You could also change the version information stored within the extension that the application checks. This is stored within a install.rdf file inside the .xpi file (the extension). This is more work but avoids the risk of other extensions breaking your application if they truly were incompatible.


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# Finally, install the extension: If it's a Firefox extension, open the .xpi file from Firefox and it should install. If it's a Thunderbird extension, install it via the "Tools -> Add-ons" menu.
# Finally, install the extension: If it's a Firefox extension, open the .xpi file from Firefox and it should install. If it's a Thunderbird extension, install it via the "Tools -> Add-ons" menu.


===Using the Nightly Tester Tools extension===
===Extensions that force compatibility===
The [http://www.oxymoronical.com/web/firefox/nightly Nightly Tester Tools extension] can be used to force compatibility. There is also a lite version of the extension available at the [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/ Mozilla Add-ons] web site. Yet another alternative is the [http://www.mrtech.com/extensions/local_install/index.html Mr Tech local install extension].
The following extensions offer the ability to disable compatiblity checking. These extensions have other features, adds other menu commands, and may change the title bar. They're not designed just to disable version checking.
 
*[http://www.oxymoronical.com/web/firefox/nightly Nightly Tester Tools]
Each of these extensions have other features , adds other menu commands, and may change the title bar (you can undo that change using the extension's Options dialog). They're not designed just to disable version checking.
*[https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1391 Nightly Tester Tools Lite]
*[http://www.mrtech.com/extensions/local_install/index.html Mr Tech Local Install].  


==See also==
==Disabling update checks for individual extensions (Advanced)==
* [[Editing_configuration | Editing the configuration]]
It is possible to prevent individual extensions from updating automatically even when you have the Software Update feature enabled. To do so:
* [[About:config | Changing preferences]]
* Find the GUID for the extension. GUIDs are either e-mail addresses or a bunch of random characters inside { } brackets. The folders named after extension GUIDs are in in the extensions folder of the [[profile folder]]. You can look at the install.rdf file in each folder to see what extension it's for.
* Type about:config in the address bar and press enter.
* Right-click -> New -> Boolean
* Name: extensions.''GUID''.update.enabled
* Value: false


[[Category:Installation and update (Firefox)]]
[[Category:Installation and update (Firefox)]]

Revision as of 20:46, 8 June 2007

Firefox and Thunderbird extensions can be updated using the Software Update feature. To perform an update check:

  1. Tools -> Add-ons
  2. Find Updates

Settings for automatically checking for updates are under Tools -> Options -> Advanced -> Update.

Re-enabling disabled extensions

If you update Firefox or Thunderbird and find that an extension which was already installed on your previous version is no longer enabled, it is sometimes possible to re-enable it by going to "Tools -> Add-ons", right-clicking on the extension, selecting "Enable" and then restarting the application. Note, however, that this will not work if the Extension Manager declares the extension to be incompatible with the new version of Firefox or Thunderbird.

Updating incompatible extensions for a new application version

The Add-ons dialog will inform you if an existing extension is incompatible with your current version of Firefox or Thunderbird, and prevent you from enabling it. The first thing to try is to check for updates to see if a new version is available. If one isn't found, you can override the compatibility check, but doing so is not recommended because incompatible extensions may break your application. If you decide to do it anyway and you then find the application is not behaving properly, you can disable the extension from the Add-ons dialog to get everything working again (from Safe Mode if necessary).

Completely disabling the compatibility check

The simplest solution is to disable version checking for all extensions by setting the extensions.checkCompatibility setting to false in Firefox and Thunderbird 2.0 and later.

  1. Firefox users can type about:config in the address bar and press Enter. Thunderbird users can use the Config Editor.
  2. Right-click -> New -> Boolean
  3. Name: extensions.checkCompatibility
  4. Value: false

Users of versions previous to 2.0 can use the preference app.extensions.version.

Disabling the compatibility check per extension (Advanced)

You could also change the version information stored within the extension that the application checks. This is stored within a install.rdf file inside the .xpi file (the extension). This is more work but avoids the risk of other extensions breaking your application if they truly were incompatible.

  1. Download to your computer a copy of the extension (the ".xpi" file).
  2. Extract (unzip) the .xpi file. It is simply a zipped file with an .xpi extension, so you should be able to use something like unzip or Stuffit-expander (on Mac) to extract it.
  3. Open the "install.rdf" file with a text editor such as Notepad. Find a tagline like this showing the "maxVersion" number (in this case 1.0, but it may differ depending on the extension): <em:maxVersion>1.0</em:maxVersion>
  4. Change the "1.0" to "1.5" or whatever you need. That tells the installer that the version can be installed with the corresponding version number of Firefox or Thunderbird.
  5. Optionally, to indicate that you modified the extension for your own private use, you can also edit the lines describing the author/contributor and version of the extension.
  6. Save the changes you made to the install.rdf file.
  7. Create a zip archive containing all the files that were in the original .xpi file, including your modified install.rdf file. Rename it to "myExt.xpi" or whatever you like. The crucial thing here is to use ".xpi" for the file extension.
  8. Strongly recommended: before installing the extension, make a temporary backup of your profile folder or at least of the "extensions" folder inside your profile folder, which contains the installed extensions. That way, if something goes wrong, you can revert the changes easily.
  9. Finally, install the extension: If it's a Firefox extension, open the .xpi file from Firefox and it should install. If it's a Thunderbird extension, install it via the "Tools -> Add-ons" menu.

Extensions that force compatibility

The following extensions offer the ability to disable compatiblity checking. These extensions have other features, adds other menu commands, and may change the title bar. They're not designed just to disable version checking.

Disabling update checks for individual extensions (Advanced)

It is possible to prevent individual extensions from updating automatically even when you have the Software Update feature enabled. To do so:

  • Find the GUID for the extension. GUIDs are either e-mail addresses or a bunch of random characters inside { } brackets. The folders named after extension GUIDs are in in the extensions folder of the profile folder. You can look at the install.rdf file in each folder to see what extension it's for.
  • Type about:config in the address bar and press enter.
  • Right-click -> New -> Boolean
  • Name: extensions.GUID.update.enabled
  • Value: false